Chelyconus miovoeslauensis ( Sacco, 1893 )

Kovács, Z. & Vicián, Z., 2013, Badenian (Middle Miocene) Conoidean (Neogastropoda) fauna from Letkés (N Hungary), Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 30, pp. 53-100 : 60

Chelyconus miovoeslauensis ( Sacco, 1893)

(Figs 11–15)

1856 Conus ventricosus Bronn – HÖRNES, pl. 3, fig. 6 only.

1879 Conus (Chelyconus) ventricosus Bronn – HOERNES & AUINGER, pl. 6, figs 5–6.

1893 Conus (Chelyconus) miovoeslauensis – SACCO, p. 108.

1966 Conus (Chelyconus) miovoeslauensis Sacco – STRAUSZ, p. 457, text-fig. 204 (cum syn.).

Material – 362 specimens.

Description – Shell moderately small (SL: 16–28). Spire of moderate height, narrow, outline straight to slightly concave. Shoulder rounded. Body whorl ventricosely conical, outline convex, smooth with 4–5 widely spaced spiral grooves at the base. Subsutural flexure asymmetrically curved, of moderate depth.

Remarks – The Letkés material is close to the type in morphology. The validity of the species had been rejected by SIEBER (1958 a), but it was confirmed again by STRAUSZ (1966). Two phenotypes appear in the studied assemblage. Most specimens bear smooth shell, while a few specimens are sculptured by spiral rows of granules (Figs 11–12). Monteiroconus bitorosus is a similar form; however, it is characterised by wider shell with subangulate shoulder and wider spire.

Distribution – Austria, Romania (MM). Hungary: Letkés (MM).